We’ve gone big-scale on the campaign to promote Tall Ships Sunderland 2018 - and it’s all thanks to a Wearside woman.

Roker resident Dorothy Stewart took up our call for people to take the Wear On Board poster on holiday with them.

The poster which you can take away with you on holiday.

She not only did that, she took it to a Major League Soccer match in the USA where there were thousands of spectators.

And thanks to her, the poster was at a match between Atlanta United FC and Toronto at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium.

Dorothy told us: “With a gate of over 71,000 (a record for the MLS), we took the opportunity to promote the Tall Ships Race.

“My sister Brenda is a Mackem who has lived in Hampshire for 35 years. We are visiting my grandson Lewis Sharpe who graduated this year on a soccer scholarship.”

Lewis coaches the Atlanta United FC 12 to 18 year olds and the family are pictured with the poster outside the stadium.

We thank them for their magnificent efforts. Oh, and by the way, the match ended in a 2-2 draw.

We are after even more Sunderland Echo readers to join our Tall Ships Races poster push worldwide.

Here’s another reminder of how you can help tell the world that The Tall Ships Races are coming to Wearside.

Next year’s Sunderland leg will be held from July 11 to 14 and we want the people of the North East to get involved.

How? By following these instructions.

1. Grab a copy of the free tall ships poster which can be downloaded from https://tinyurl.com/y89uhbme. Keep it safe and take it with you on holiday.

2. When you arrive at your holiday destination, hold your poster up and have your photograph taken with it.

3. Send that picture to us – with the tag ‘Wear On Board’ – so that we can publish it.

That way, we can tell the world that Sunderland is right behind the Tall Ships Races 2018.

4. Send it to us either by email to chris.cordner@jpress.co.uk, send it in a message to the Sunderland Echo Facebook page, or post a hard copy of the photograph to Chris Cordner, Sunderland Echo, Alexander House, Rainton Bridge Business Park, Houghton-le-Spring, Sunderland, DH4 5RA.

Don’t forget to include some information about yourself and contact details, so we can find out more about your visit.

Our campaign lasts right up until the races become reality in Sunderland in July next year.

But the word is out. Let’s spread it far and wide and make sure the world knows – Wear On Board for a fantastic festival of fun.